Philadelphia's Michael Vick will be the man in the spotlight Sunday when he returns to Atlanta to play his old team. But Casey Matthews will be the man in the middle. Matthews, a rookie from Oregon, will make his second start at middle linebacker for the Eagles, who will be put to the test by a Michael Turner-led Falcons run game. The Eagles gave up 154 yards rushing at St. Louis last Sunday, underscoring some concerns about their inexperienced linebackers — Matthews flanked by a pair of seventh-round picks, Jamar Chaney (drafted in 2010)

Now that Bill Redell is back as coach at Oaks Christian, you can always count on him to come forth with some interesting comments. His latest is that he coached two teams that could compete with this year's 16-0 St. John Bosco team. "I think the 1986 Crespi team and the 15-0 2006 Oaks Christian team could compete with St. John Bosco," Redell said Monday. Sorry, Bill, they might be able to compete but they'd never win. First, the 1986 team , led by Russell White, lost to St. John Bosco during the regular season, then beat the Braves in the Big Five championship game.

Casey Matthews will have no trouble finding his way to the Rose Bowl this morning. "It seems like everyone in my family has played in it but me," said the junior linebacker for Oregon. It seems like everyone in his family has won there, too. His father Clay, uncle Bruce and brother Clay III all did that for USC. So Casey had some questions to answer when he showed up at Oregon. "People looked at me and just said, 'Oh, you're branching off.' But I just wanted to set my own legacy," he said.

Philadelphia's Michael Vick will be the man in the spotlight Sunday when he returns to Atlanta to play his old team. But Casey Matthews will be the man in the middle. Matthews, a rookie from Oregon, will make his second start at middle linebacker for the Eagles, who will be put to the test by a Michael Turner-led Falcons run game. The Eagles gave up 154 yards rushing at St. Louis last Sunday, underscoring some concerns about their inexperienced linebackers — Matthews flanked by a pair of seventh-round picks, Jamar Chaney (drafted in 2010)

Chip Kelly likes to shave time. He's the kind of guy who seeks the quickest route to work and probably could have already edited four words out of this story. "Gone With the Wind," under Kelly's direction, might have won the Academy Award for best film short. "It would have been really fast," Kelly joked Monday in his office. "Get right to Atlanta, burn the buildings and yell 'time!'" The objective is getting Oregon to play football as fast as its second-year coach talks, and he's already machine-gum Kelly.

Now that Bill Redell is back as coach at Oaks Christian, you can always count on him to come forth with some interesting comments. His latest is that he coached two teams that could compete with this year's 16-0 St. John Bosco team. "I think the 1986 Crespi team and the 15-0 2006 Oaks Christian team could compete with St. John Bosco," Redell said Monday. Sorry, Bill, they might be able to compete but they'd never win. First, the 1986 team , led by Russell White, lost to St. John Bosco during the regular season, then beat the Braves in the Big Five championship game.

Reporting from Eugene, Ore. A wild year in college football concluded with a relatively tame finish. The release of the final BCS standings on Sunday only confirmed what everyone already knew. Auburn and Oregon finished first and second, respectively, and will play for the Jan. 10 national title in Glendale, Ariz. Texas Christian held onto the No. 3 spot to earn a berth in the Rose Bowl while Stanford was No. 4 and Wisconsin was No. 5. Those two spots earn the Cardinal a trip to the Orange Bowl while the Badgers become the Big Ten representative to the Rose Bowl.

Five years later, the image remains indelible to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton -- and Oregon defenders. On Jan. 4, 2006, Texas quarterback Vince Young torched USC and willed the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory in the Bowl Championship Series title game. The 6-foot-5 quarterback accounted for 467 yards rushing and passing and ran for three touchdowns, including the winning score with 19 seconds to play. Newton said this week that he was "glued" to the TV when Young performed his feats on college football's biggest stage, adding that he still gets goose bumps watching clips on YouTube.

Casey Matthews, the middle linebacker of Oregon's unbeaten football team, has a huge task Monday night in the BCS title game against Auburn. No, not trying to tackle Cam Newton, the bullet train who plays quarterback for the Tigers. This is bigger, more difficult. Casey has to live up to being a Matthews. "One of my goals is to be seen in the same light as them," he says. And the "them" becomes the story, because so many of "them" represent so much excellence in football that it is hard to believe the gene pool can stay so productive.

As USC players whooped and hollered during the Trojans' walkthrough at Autzen Stadium on Friday, receiver Damian Williams quietly jogged around the perimeter of the field. Williams, the Trojans' top receiver and punt returner, did not practice for much of the week because of a sore glute muscle, but he is expected to play today when fourth-ranked USC plays No. 10 Oregon. "If nothing else, he's going to have fresh legs," Coach Pete Carroll said. Still, Williams' condition is part of an injury equation that will leave the Trojans without any of their top three pass catchers at full strength.

Five years later, the image remains indelible to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton -- and Oregon defenders. On Jan. 4, 2006, Texas quarterback Vince Young torched USC and willed the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory in the Bowl Championship Series title game. The 6-foot-5 quarterback accounted for 467 yards rushing and passing and ran for three touchdowns, including the winning score with 19 seconds to play. Newton said this week that he was "glued" to the TV when Young performed his feats on college football's biggest stage, adding that he still gets goose bumps watching clips on YouTube.

Casey Matthews, the middle linebacker of Oregon's unbeaten football team, has a huge task Monday night in the BCS title game against Auburn. No, not trying to tackle Cam Newton, the bullet train who plays quarterback for the Tigers. This is bigger, more difficult. Casey has to live up to being a Matthews. "One of my goals is to be seen in the same light as them," he says. And the "them" becomes the story, because so many of "them" represent so much excellence in football that it is hard to believe the gene pool can stay so productive.

Reporting from Eugene, Ore. A wild year in college football concluded with a relatively tame finish. The release of the final BCS standings on Sunday only confirmed what everyone already knew. Auburn and Oregon finished first and second, respectively, and will play for the Jan. 10 national title in Glendale, Ariz. Texas Christian held onto the No. 3 spot to earn a berth in the Rose Bowl while Stanford was No. 4 and Wisconsin was No. 5. Those two spots earn the Cardinal a trip to the Orange Bowl while the Badgers become the Big Ten representative to the Rose Bowl.

Chip Kelly likes to shave time. He's the kind of guy who seeks the quickest route to work and probably could have already edited four words out of this story. "Gone With the Wind," under Kelly's direction, might have won the Academy Award for best film short. "It would have been really fast," Kelly joked Monday in his office. "Get right to Atlanta, burn the buildings and yell 'time!'" The objective is getting Oregon to play football as fast as its second-year coach talks, and he's already machine-gum Kelly.

Casey Matthews will have no trouble finding his way to the Rose Bowl this morning. "It seems like everyone in my family has played in it but me," said the junior linebacker for Oregon. It seems like everyone in his family has won there, too. His father Clay, uncle Bruce and brother Clay III all did that for USC. So Casey had some questions to answer when he showed up at Oregon. "People looked at me and just said, 'Oh, you're branching off.' But I just wanted to set my own legacy," he said.

EUGENE, Ore. -- Five offensive linemen who were on track to start USC's season opener will line up together for the first time in a game today when the ninth-ranked Trojans play fifth-ranked Oregon. All-American left tackle Sam Baker, junior left guard Jeff Byers, senior center Matt Spanos, junior right guard Chilo Rachal and senior right tackle Drew Radovich are expected to start for a unit that has been wracked by injuries.

Pyrotronics, the Anaheim fireworks company formerly owned by political corruption figure W. Patrick Moriarty, has filed a $2-million suit against eight former employees and a fireworks company they formed in Orange. The suit, filed Friday in Orange County Superior Court, alleges that the eight workers stole secret client lists from Pyrotronics Corp. and asks that their new employer, Red Dragon Fireworks Co., be prevented from using those lists.